A Note from our Programs Manager

While hundreds of thousands of acres blazed during California wildfires this summer, so far Ventura County has been mostly spared. The Post Fire kicked off an early fire season on June 15, 2024, but most of the fire’s 15,000+-acre area burned within LA County lines. Our neighbors to the north in Santa Barbara County fought to contain the Lake Fire as it burned over 38,000 acres. Ventura County’s acreage burned? As of September, 2024, fires within Ventura County have burned under 2,000 acres.

This could be due to positive forest and land management practices, hard-working suppression resources, and fewer human- and utility-caused ignitions.

But Ventura County isn’t out of the woods just yet... In August, the first occurrence of the Goldspotted Oak Borer (Agrilus auroguttatus), or GSOB, was found in Ventura County in Marr Canyon Open Space and Box Canyon. The beetle’s larvae burrow underneath the bark of native oak trees and eat the tissue of the trees that allow them to grow, known as the cambium. Enough destruction of this critical layer causes tree death, as the beetles bore into surrounding oaks and infest woodlands. While the GSOB is not a pest in its native range of Southeastern Arizona, it has contributed to the mortality of more than 80,000 trees over just ~1,900 square miles since 2002, according to UC Riverside. That is 42 oaks dead per square mile. While living oaks are adapted to wildfire, dead oaks, like any other vegetation, pose significant wildfire risk by adding to the fuel load. This creates a positive feedback loop of ecological degradation.

So how can we protect our oak woodlands from collapse? The main cause of spread of these beetles northwards from San Diego has been the transport of firewood over long distances. Instead of picking firewood up before your camping trip, buy it where you burn it. If you think your firewood “looks safe”, remember that even experts aren’t always able to see the tiny insect eggs. The health of Ventura County’s oaks are at risk, and this is your chance to stop the spread!

Learn more about this issue with the following resources:

• Goldspotted Oak Borer - UCANR: Cooperative Extension Ventura County
• The Golden Spotted Oak Borer - CSUSB Forest Resiliency Project

Mason Thurmond

Programs Manager

Ventura Regional Fire Safe Council

Sponsor this event and we'll show our appreciation for you or your business throughout the event and following year! You'll find an array of advertising options aimed at increasing your presence in wildfire safety.

VRFSC is excited to introduce you to two new staff members to our team!

Sara Rodriguez

Operations Assistant

Sara joined the Ventura Regional Fire Safe Council in August of 2024. As a daughter of immigrants, she has always dreamed of being able to connect and educate others while also representing her own community. Coming into the VRFSC organization, it was important for her to really focus on reaching out to communities that are often overlooked and ensuring that genuine connections and mutual trust are being built.

Sara began volunteering with Ventura County Animal Services and wanted to do more with nonprofits. Given her love of working with the community as well as wanting to work for a nonprofit, she soon found herself working for the VRFSC. She strives to be the first point of contact between the VRFSC and the community so that she can provide any and all resources while also establishing positive relationships.

Alissa Goldberg

Fuels and Chipper Coordinator

Alissa joined the Ventura Regional Fire Safe Council in August of 2024. She received her degree in Environmental Science and Resource Management from CSU Channel Islands in 2020 and aspired to use her knowledge and experience to help her lifelong community: Ventura County.

Prior to her degree, Alissa worked in the education and research fields flying drones, assisting students with research, and mapping areas of Ventura County. On weekends you can find Alissa hiking with her family, bird watching, and beachcombing. With a passion for helping people and the environment, she is excited to bring her skills to VRFSC as the Chipper and Fuels Coordinator.

VENTURA REGIONAL FIRE SAFE COUNCIL

Susan Birch is an Environmental Services Specialist from Ventura Water and will be speaking on being Waterwise in a Firewise Ventura County! Q&A to follow.

Did you miss the first few Firewise USA® Workshops of the year? No sweat! Click on the video icon in this section to watch the first workshop of the year.

Our live workshops happen every 3rd Friday at 1PM on Zoom and you can register here.

We upload past workshops on our YouTube Channel here.

Take advantage of resources like 211, a free and confidential service that connects customers like you to:

• Community Assistance
• Emergency Preparedness
• Public Assistance
• Food Pantry or Meal Delivery
• Transportation, and other services

Need assistance before, during or after a PSPS, but not sure where to turn? When you contact 211, you will be connected to a live, caring, highly trained community specialist.

For more information about emergency resources, please visit 211.org

Your donation provides general support in addition to helping us to expand our community programs and services in areas our grants do not cover. Thank you in advance for helping us make a greater impact!